Alright, my last water change was on Thursday (50% change), and my next is scheduled for Monday(25%-50%). What should I do about the ragged fins? I'll post a picture as soon as I can, but do you have any suggestions?Thanks!

I'm sorry to say this but this is definitely because you had ammonia in your tank for a couple of days. This is very stressful on fish and sometimes the symptoms come a bit later. Seeing as your water is now good, you can start some treatment straight away. This is fin rot so you can treat with melafix/pimafix and some aquarium salt if you would like. If you can't find these products, look for something that is designed to treat fin rot.

It may actually be a good idea to do a water change today before you start treatment as you treat melafix/pimafix for 7 days. These can be easily treated and will probably fix it self with good water, but I would also do the treatment asap

Agreed. The pH can be easily lifted by adding a 1/4 to 1/2 of a teaspoon of baking soda to 10 gallons of water. I did this just the other day when mine nose dived thankfully all is well phew! The salt and pimafix should bring recovery quickly to the ragged fins and any bloody streaking that might be visible.

Your fish are swimming in acid water with the pH so low. Do as April advised and bring the pH up but slowly.Do a test on your regular tap water. What is the pH of just your tap water? Just a water change could help if your tap water is a higher pH.

It doesn't have to be fin rot. NOTE: fin rot is recognizeable as the tissue of the fins deteriorate, they don't look torn, but rather ragged and sometimes with white edges.It's also quite common for fishes' fins to tear up some if you have water quality problems for a while, or if the fish are stressed! While it can develop INTO fin rot should a bacterial infection occur.

Well I was just sort of responding to the issues she has been dealing with the past week or so, so I was just doing my best by suggesting it was fin rot It's hard without a photo to be that specific I guess

They are acting normally, swimming around without any jerking movements or anything, still beg for their food But I'll be doing a water change and will raise the pH a little. Thanks!

Oh, and one more thing: It doesn't look like fin rot, I think Nossie may be right about how this happened because of bad water quality Their fins look more like they have split up, no visible red or infections either

OrandaLover you don't have to use the pH raiser, I used that before too (Nutrafin pH adjust up) and within a few days the pH dropped again which was added stress to my fish. With the baking soda method it is less stressful and stable and every time you do a water change you can test and adjust it easily. Sorry but those pH products are dangerous IMO the warning alone on the label that it will burn your skin if it comes in contact with it should have been enough of a red flag for me I feel guilty about this because it may have contributed to my sweet boy's demise

I would only mess around with the ph if it is normally not 6.2! You didn't answer the question Hanna actually asked I know it's not an ideal ph for goldfish but if that is what it normally is well it's going to cause too much stress to constantly be trying to change it. If it is normally higher well I guess go with the baking soda idea, it sounds much better

April: I didn't know the ph products were that dangerous, mine doesn't say anything like that but I'm glad I never used it. I don't know if that is what caused Mr. Tailer to get so sick, I believe not, but if so you shouldn't feel guilty as you were only trying to help with the purest intentions

Orandalover I think it is obvious this was caused by bad water quality This is why we were telling you to do the water changes straight away and being pretty pushy about it. Are you going to treat with melafix and pimafix too?

pH products are NOT that dangerous, of course it is much better if there is NO nedd to use them. But if there is, and you start using them, only put a tiny ammount into the water and test the pH, continue doing so until the desired pH is reached. In time to come you will be experienced enough to know how much pH adjuster you need to add to the amount of water in your container.It is more than logical that pH UP and pH DOWN will prickle your skin, as the one is alkalinic and the other one is acidic as long as it is NOT disolved in water.Baking soda works more or less as a buffer to keep the desired pH STABLE.

OrandaLover, you didn't answer my question: Is the pH at your place ALWAYS 6.2 ? Or did it drop?Goldfish get stressed if the pH fluctuates.Andrea already pointed it out: your fishes discomfort is caused by bad water quality. And this is why we got upon you like we did.So get this water right, make sure how the pH is when it comes out of the tap. Let us know and then we may think about adjusting it. Also please test the other parameters again and post ALL numerical results, please.

You can also use crushed coral to raise the ph safely. This should last since it would be in the aquarium at all times. You just put it in a mess type bag and put it in your filter. This is what I read was the safest way to raise it if you still need to.

My goldfish were having trouble with a few of their fins and scales also. I figured out it was the rocks I had added to the tank so I removed them and they are healing up nicely now. One thing can go wrong in a tank and next thing you know you end up with all sorts of problems it seems.

I agree that it can get frustrating when your having troubles but it can also be very rewarding as well!